In a joint statement, several Haitian union leaders, including the Syndicat du Personnel du Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle (SPEMENFP), the Union Nationale des Normaliens d’Haïti (UNNOH), and the Syndicat pour la Défense des Employés de l’OAVCT (SDE/OAVCT), reacted strongly to French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks concerning the situation in Haiti.
They described Macron’s remarks as an attack on Haitian sovereignty and contempt for the Haitian people.
Emmanuel Macron recently declared: “It is the Haitians who are destroying and killing Haiti”, while describing former Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille as “super”, “formidable”, before adding that his dismissal was unjustified.
These remarks, which indirectly likened Haitians to “imbeciles” incapable of governing their own country, provoked a wave of indignation.
For the unions, these statements illustrate “the usual practice of interference by imperialist powers such as the United States and France in Haiti, in order to maintain their stranglehold on the country. “They also see in them a “colonial attitude” and a profound lack of respect for Haiti’s leaders and people.
The unions point out that the French president’s remarks contravene the Vienna Convention, which prohibits any interference in the internal affairs of another country. “If Macron finds Garry Conille so ‘extra’ and ‘formidable’, he could have imposed him as Prime Minister in France”, they ironize, while pointing out that such praise conceals neo-colonial intentions.
The joint statement looks back at the tumultuous history of Franco-Haitian relations, marked by the independence indemnity imposed by France in 1825, described as a “historical swindle”. “Emmanuel Macron seems to have a short or selective memory”, they assert, recalling that this debt destroyed the Haitian economy and enriched that of France, enabling, among other things, the construction of emblematic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower.
For the unions, the real causes of Haiti’s destruction are :
1. The independence indemnity of 1825, never returned;
2. The theft of Haitian gold reserves by the United States in 1914, also unrepaired;
3. The constant interference of imperialist powers, who impose corrupt rulers and keep Haiti in a state of political and economic dependence;
4. Neoliberal policies imposed since the 1980s, responsible for the destruction of the national economy;
5. The proliferation of armed gangs, fuelled by the influx of weapons from the USA and other countries.
The unions are calling for a “national liberation battle” aimed at restoring the country’s sovereignty and fighting local traitors complicit with foreign interests. They also demand reparations for the historical injustices inflicted on Haiti. They call on the Haitian authorities to adopt a firm stance in response to these statements. “The Haitian government must take all necessary diplomatic measures to demand that Macron withdraw his remarks and apologize to the Haitian people”, they insist.
The statement reflects the growing exasperation of Haitian trade unions at interference perceived as an impediment to Haiti’s right to self-determination. “Vive une Haïti adulte, avec des dirigeants responsables et une prospérité partagée pour tous”, they conclude.
Among the signatory unions are SPEMENFP, UNNOH, SDE/OAVCT, and several other organizations representing Haitian workers and educators.